ZooZoo

Anjuli - I don't know much about ballet as it is my son who dances but every time I read one of your posts I think - what a beautiful turn of phrase you have. All your words seem wisely chosen and you say just the right amount. Not too long and not too brief. In fact, I wonder whether you are an author as well as a ballet dancer - you should write a book, (if you haven't already!)

Yup - buttons for my son. He was ok with Coraline though! It is scary I thought! He won't wear buttons and poppers are not much better! All his trousers are elasticated or slidey clip thing. No buttons for waistband adjustments - the worst - secret buttons next to your tummy! His school polo was zip instead of buttons for years! He has now (aged 9) conceded to wearing a polo with two small buttons but he keeps his jumper on (even in summer ) to hide them. Yup - it's weird!

Oh I'll carry on the phobia thread about buttons!

Ah yes - staying off topic with the button phobia. It is actually not that rare - koumponophobia or something like that. Ever since DS was about 2 has absolutely refused to wear buttons, but is not so bad he can't see or touch them (which some people are like!). Actually Steve Jobs had this, so perhaps my DS will become a multi-millionaire too!! Just in the last year or so, DS will wear buttons if needed because of costume etc! I have become an expert in button free dressing!

Hi again. I do appreciate the replies and the suggestions, eg. that I get DS to help me cook. I am not sure that he has a actual phobia, well not about food anyway. He has a button phobia but that is another story!............ I just think he is very fussy. However he is getting a bit better and will eat small bits of things he doesn't like if offered enough of a bribe. Eg. try a bit of carrot and you can leave the potato! He is also very very slow, more so if he is not keen on the food. Bit faster with macaroni cheese!

Hi all and thank you so much for all your replies. I feel reassured that if my son is lucky enough to get in a vocational school then, he would be ok with the food. I think I had an image of them basically being given a pre-selected plate of a balanced meal, and that being it. And of course my son won't eat it if he doesn't like it. I think he would skip meals for quite a long time before giving in to eating something he does not like. However, if they can choose, he'd be ok, and if he can fill up on fruit and bread, again, that would be ok. I don't worry (yet) about him overeating 'bad" foods as he is naturally slim (not like porky me!).

Hi all I have seen another post which mentioned problems about the eating at vocational school. I don't know if that was an issue specific to that poster, perhaps. My son is thinking of auditioning for year 7. However, he is a very picky eater. Virtually no vegetables (but fruit is ok). He won't even eat potato/chips. Given the choice he would exist on macaroni cheese. Would he be forced to eat stuff he hates? He would rather not eat anything than eat something he doesn't like........

Ahh - thanks for replying about the Year 6 audition workshop. I never really considered vocational schools as being possible but now that my son is a JA I see that there is perhaps a 20% chance or so on pure odds, so I have to consider it............ Regarding the Year 4/Year 5 JA thing, when we auditioned for year 4 the rejection letter specifically asked us to audition for year 5. As I understand it, there are 3 types of letter, yes, no, and try again next year...... But I have heard of children getting the straight no letter and still getting in the year after so I would not let that put anyone off trying........I think they only offered a couple of Year 4 places, but I can see that those children are very talented, so i guess that is why..........

These are lots of fun and provide a good insight of what it would be like to be a JA. My son auditioned for year 4 JA but did not get in. Then we did one of these days. He auditioned again for year 5 and got in! Eloise - what is the aim of the audition workshop? It is assumed that the JAs will all be auditioning for vocational? Are all your year 6s doing that? We probably will, as I feel a bit like we are on the treadmill now, but it is scary......

hi again - so can I ask then. On the MDS forms, will my salary of say, £20,000 be taken as the gross salary or £17,000 (once the £3000 or so vouchers come off?). Only the lower amount goes on a P60 so I thought it would be that.................

Tomuchtalent - is your son at one of the big four then? Would be great to know that this is possible at some or all of them (basically even with a MDS we would struggle as one of our children had to go private for personal reasons even though we can't really afford it............)

Hi all. Does anyone know the answer to this question please? Any employed person can have about £3,000 childcare vouchers, deducted from gross salary. These are usually associated with pre schoolers but actually you can use them to pay for children up to 16, but only for after school care, not the main school day. Some boarding schools now accept those vouchers for the boarding element of the yearly fees. Does anyone know if White Lodge, Elmhurst, Tring or Hammond do this? All that needs to happen is that the school separates out the day and boarding element, although there may also be an interaction between using vouchers and the MDS scheme. Not sure how that might work. Has anyone tried this? It would mean, for a higher rate taxpayer, that the boarding element could be reduced by 40%....every little helps.......

thanks for the replies so far. So is it basically just year 9 that they are assessed out? In other words, if they make it through to year 10 are they safe for year 11? I really appreciate the responses. I suppose I would be ok with the thought that a third might be assessed out at year 9, but not with the thought that most accepted in year 7 would not make it through. I don't think it would be fair to my son to put him in a situation where he could be assessed out at any time.......but I guess the decision would be his!

My son is in year 5 at the moment and I am thinking of seeing if he would like to audition for vocational schools. Please can anyone with knowledge tell me, at either White Lodge or Elmhurst, how many pupils there are each year and how many are assessed out each year? If you get into White Lodge/Elmhurst, are you basically lucky to make it all the way to year 11 or unlucky to be assessed out? I don't really want him to go somewhere like this if there is a high chance he won't make it through to year 11........ I would also be interested in the same information for Tring/Hammond, again if anyone knows please. It may take me a while to check back onto here, but I will appreciate your responses..... Thanks

My son has done ballet since age 4 and I'm told he's good at it. He will be doing Grade 2 just before his 10th birthday later this year. Meanwhile he's been accepted as a JA at the Royal Ballet for year 5, so I don't think grades matter all that much really.

Thanks all! Yes - I will ring them and see then.......... Perhaps it is better if he looks exactly the same as everyone else with the new stuff. Just that my bank balance is taking a battering!

Hi all - I have received the RBS info about the uniform. Seems to be white shoes. Leather and canvas are mentioned - do you need both? Can I use the white leotard and black shorts we already have, do you think, or do I need special RBS ones? Thanks in advance!

I have twins too but only small so not into ballet yet! I'd say triplets would be lucky to be taken to the library, let alone ballet classes!

I wonder if anyone could kindly answer my questions, if able. 1. When is the year 5 JA lesson in London (I know it may change but just wondered what it is at mo). 2. How long is the class? 3. We are down to do 24 lessons. Will that be it or will there be other rehearsals etc? 4. My son is going to be doing JA in year 5. Will he automatically get into year 6 or do we have to apply/audition again? 5. Do you think it is realistic to start thinking that he might actually get into a vocational school at 11? Eg. White Lodge/Elmhurst. I am wondering, do 1 in 100 JAs do this, or 1 in 10? or 1 in 5 etc? Of course there is less competition for boys than girls. Just want to know if this is something that I should think about being a possibility. I know it's still early days! Thanks in advance for any info/replies!

Dear Shashee Huge congratulations to your daughter. If you look at the RBS statistics for 2010/2011 you see that nearly 1000 girls auditioned for JAs, and just over 100 got in. Given this sort of statistic it is an amazing result to be offered Eastleigh. I would grab it with both hands asap! So many girls audition so it must mean your daughter has excellent potential. I am quite new to this forum. My son applied to JAs last year when he was 8 and we got a friendly "no but come and see us again next year letter". I met a kind mum at his audition last year who told me to definitely apply again if he got turned down, as her older/oldest son had got turned down the first year he applied and got in the second! Anyway, we did apply and I am very pleased to say he got in - so he'll be going in as a Year 5! It is both scary and so exciting! Not sure how I am going to juggle all the travel to London - expect I may spend quite a few hours at the London Transport Museum with the younger ones!